You Want Me to Pray for Whom, Lord?

Recently a person very close to me began to make some ungodly choices in her life, which grieved me greatly. One day she sat beside me in church, and while it was a bit uncomfortable, I did my best to focus on the lesson. Then, as the pastor prayed to end the service, I felt the Lord tap me on the shoulder.

“You feel this negative energy right here beside you? You can fix that.”

“What?” I said. “It’s not my problem. It’s hers.”

“Yes, but I’ve been telling you for months to get on your knees for her and you haven’t done it. Remember that verse:

Seriously chastised, I pondered those words for the rest of the day, and in the morning during my prayer time I asked God for help. You see, I had actually said a few prayers for my friend, but I never focused on fighting for her. I was too annoyed by her bad choices. I was so disgusted with her behavior that I didn’t want anything to do with her. And that is a very bad place to be.

Once when I was in high school, I mentioned to my mother a situation with a girl I really didn’t like. Her response was to pray for this girl, to which I’m sure I scowled. Why would I pray for someone I planned to avoid?

Mama told me about the verse that says we are to pray for our enemies (Matt 5:44). When I responded, that technically this girl wasn’t my enemy, Mama was armed with an answer. “You dislike this girl just as much as you would someone who mistreats you. You don’t like to be around her and cringe when she comes near. Same concept.”

So I begrudgingly began to pray for the girl, and to my surprise, it only took a couple months before we became friends!

God changed my heart, but I had to take the first step.

The same thing happened in recent months. As I began to pray for my backslidden friend, God began to soften my heart toward her and helped me see her as He saw her, a lost and confused soul who just needed someone’s support. Now, she’s growing closer to the Lord, and there is much less weirdness between us. All because I was obedient and prayed.

The Bible tells us to pray for each other (James 5:16).

Don’t hold back because you have negative feelings toward someone!

Your prayers are powerful. No matter who God lays on your heart, be sure to be consistent. Then sit back and watch Him work!

Tweetables:

Jen Cudmore

Jen grew up on the Columbia River Gorge and currently lives in Alaska with her husband, two children, two boxers, and two cats. Her goal is to write novels that encourage women to look for positive qualities in a life partner, and to foster an environment of real romance, rather than fantasy, as they grow old with their spouse. For more, visit her website at http://www.jencudmore.com/. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Such an important message, Jen. Thank you for putting this into a perspective we can all relate to. We may not have “enemies” but we do have people we’re not praying for with a heart that reflects the Lord’s heart.